XPLORx4

You can fit 265/75R16 tires on 16x8 wheels with 4.25" backspacing and a 2" lift.

What's the reason that you want to install a lower-temperature thermostat? Also, the temperature gauge reads in the middle from about 155 to 210. The temperature gauge is connected to a different coolant temperature sensor than the engine computer, which uses the "ECT sensor", and either the gauge or the gauge sensor are calibrated to read in the middle for a very wide range of temperatures. That being said, a few years ago I was having some issues overheating and I changed the stock 180° thermostat to a 170° thermostat in my 3.3l. Before the swap, my ECT reading was 184° (verified using Scan-Gauge OBDII monitor), and after, the temperature reads 177°.

It's unlikely that any clips would be harmed in the removal of the right rear cargo panel, so I don't think you need to worry.

Metra makes speaker adapters so you don't have to cut wires. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/metra-speaker-wire-harness-adapter-for-most-nissan-vehicles-multicolor/2206838.p?id=1051826167595&skuId=2206838

If a repair shop was paid to replace the distributor, most shops offer a 12-month, 12,000 mile warranty. If you did the work yourself, and the distributor was faulty, the retailer who sold you the distributor often provides a "lifetime" warranty for the part. Why did the distributor have to be replaced three times, and what was the frequency of replacement? Who did the work? What was the nature of the failure for each one? If you found that the gear on the bottom of the distributor was oddly worn or broken each time, then I would agree that something is amiss with the camshaft gear. If the distributor gear was in good shape after each time the distributor was replaced, and other components of the distributor were malfunctioning, then I would not suspect the camshaft gear.

You should go check out Corral Hollow trail near Arnold, CA. It's a good beginner trail on very scenic terrain. One place that's got some good trails with great diversity of difficulty is Niagara Rim OHV area just past Pinecrest on Hwy 108. It's only about 3 hours away. There are also some really good places to explore using 4WD off of Ice House Rd. (east of Placerville on Hwy 50). You can play on some fun granite slabs near one of the entrances to the Rubicon Trail near Loon Lake. One of my favorite places to off-road is near Blue Lakes, east of Kirkwood on CA-88. You depart from Hwy88 east of Carson Pass at unpaved Red Lake Rd, drive up and over a beautiful mountain pass before descending back down to Upper and Lower Blue Lakes, where there is a first-come, first-served campground, which can get full during summer weekends. There are also several primitive (i.e. no water, no toilets) campgrounds in Hope Valley (along Blue Lakes Rd, just south of the intersection of CA88 and CA89) that are likely to have many open first-come first-served sites, even on weekends.

Putting 80 lbs of wheel+tire on your roof will increase drag and reduce MPG. It will raise your center of gravity, affecting handling. It will be totally exposed to UV degradation, so unless the tire is covered, the spare will potentially need to be replaced even if the tread is 100% new, because the sidewalls will begin failing. Plus, it's not really all that easy to hoist 80 lbs of tire up onto the roof.

A completely flat 33" tire might fit in the stock underbelly location.

Random misfire could be the distributor (which houses the ignition coil) or potentially fuel injectors. Clean the throttle body and the MAF sensor first, which are easier and less costly first-steps.

And by "forced to realign it" he means you will just need to manually rotate the isolator (using a box wrench or other tool over one of the studs to give you ample torque) until it lines up better. You don't have to disassemble anything.

To clarify, when the strut mount is attached to the Left side strut, align the "L" on the mount to be inline with the arrow on the upper spring seat and the notch on the back of the strut lower spring pan. When the strut mount is attached to the Right side strut, align the "R" on the mount to be inline with the arrow on the upper spring seat and the notch on the back of the strut lower spring pan. Following this guideline will allow the bolt-holes to easily line up when you go to install the struts back in the car.

The left and right strut mounts are identical, but they are stamped with "L" and "R" to indicate what side of the car they fit on when the "L" or "R" is in the correct orientation, due to the way that the 3 bolt holes are positioned. There's only one way to fit them on.

A 33" tire won't fit underneath the body in the stock spare location. The largest that will fit without interfering with the panhard rod is 31".

Towndawg- what part of the bay area are you in? I'm in San Jose.

A hard (or no start) in cold weather could be due to a failing Engine Coolant Temp sensor or Idle Air Control Valve. There could also be a vacuum leak. Check the Factory Service Manual for more info.

If you want to inflate/deflate/pressure-check the airbags manually, use a T-fitting to connect both airbags together and run a single airline to a conveniently accessible location, where you install a Schrader valve to inflate/deflate them. If you truly want an onboard installation, install a dedicated compressor for just the airbags. https://www.airliftcompany.com/products/compressor-systems/loadcontroller/

R3DN1CK- any updates on how your Rancho strut installation went?

Great pics! Welcome to the club! The Sierras have a ton of spectacularly scenic trails and great 4-wheeling/camping opportunities that the Pathfinder can handle without breaking a sweat. What trail did you run?

What's the condition of the steering rack mount bushings?

You will need to lift the rear and support the body on jack stands. Support the axle with a jack and remove the shocks and swaybar brackets on the axle so that you can remove the rear springs. As you lower the axle to let the springs fall out, be careful not to overstretch your brake line or diff breather hose. You can unbolt the brake line manifold on the axle to help prevent overstretching. After the springs are out, drill out the hole in the center of the bottom spring perch according to the size indicated in the instructions. If you fail to drill out the hole to the correct diameter, the air fittings on the bags will not fit through the hole and will become damaged when the suspension cycles. Place the bags inside the springs and reinstall the springs on the axle. You may opt to remove the factory bumpstops, since the bags will serve as bumpstop alternatives. I can't remember if the Airlift instructions mention this or not. When I installed the airlift kit, I removed the factory bumpstops. Even though I have 2" lift springs now and don't bottom out the suspension or have any need for the airlift bags, I still have the bags installed inside the springs, since they serve as bumpstops now. When routing the air lines from the bottom of the springs to an inflation valve, route the lines along the brake lines on the axle and up to the chassis. I opted to install the inflation valve on the panhard rod support brace, easily accessible through the left rear wheel well. It's easy to reach.

Replace the alternator at your earliest opportunity. It's on its last legs.

Dash warning lights signaling alternator failure are: brake, battery, AT temp all glow simultaneously. While the engine is running, the alternator provides all of the electrical requirements of the vehicle (except if you have a huge audio system, excessive aux lights, or run other heavy electrical loads). The battery's condition has nothing to do with the alternator's function. If the alternator output becomes too low (typical range is 13.2-14.1 volts) then it means your alternator is dying. You can technically drive on battery only (no alternator) until the battery voltage drops to a little less than 10 volts, and then the engine will run rough for a few seconds before stalling. A few years ago, my alternator failed, and after turning off all electrical loads (AC, radio, lights) I was able to drive about 150 miles on only the battery before the engine quit. I was within 20 miles of making it all the way home.

If you don't like the source above, try your local Nissan dealer. Or, shop around at any of these sites: https://www.google.com/#q=14930-3M201

Shocks for sure are to dampen oscillations, but one of a shock's key functions is also to limit how quickly the spring is allowed to compress or rebound. A spring soft enough to provide a comfortable ride will inevitably allow bottoming out, while a spring that's stiff enough to avoid bottoming out when sharply loaded will be too stiff to provide a comfortable ride. In this case, I believe the right combination of springs and shocks is worth investigating. OR, as I mentioned earlier, getting helper springs (airlift) or adjustable shocks may be a less costly and more efficient solution.

http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/11442-how-to-replace-evap-canister-and-valves/